Short tip on Research (newbies)

[Drakan]

Short tip on research.

I try not to repeat any threads with the same content, so If someone has already posted this, and I am sure someone has, I have not seen it (too many posts and threads to read !!!).

When researching a tech, and you only have ONE turn left to attain that tech, adjust the Research slab to decrease research in such a way as to continue discovering it in your next turn but you will find yourself spending less gold.

In the next turn, once that new tech is avaliable at your unis, readjust the slab to where you had it in the prior turn, so as not to cripple your research rate.

If you do this through out the game every time you only have one turn left to discover a tech you will end up saving a nice amount of gold in the long run.

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail"

You will find that "playing" around with the Luxuries and Research slabs is always useful.

[Vince278]

I do that all the time.

[dojoboy]

Re: Short tip on Research (newbies)

Originally posted by Drakann
When researching a tech, and you only have ONE turn left to attain that tech, adjust the Research slab to decrease research in such a way as to continue discovering it in your next turn but you will find yourself spending less gold.

In the next turn, once that new tech is avaliable at your unis, readjust the slab to where you had it in the prior turn, so as not to cripple your research rate.

This is true. But, have you looked at it from this perspective?

When you drop your research rate to gain a one turn bonus in gpt, you've thrown away science beakers that would have allowed you to research the next tech faster.

But, the gold may be needed at that particular moment.

Correct?

[punkbass2000]

Re: Re: Short tip on Research (newbies)

Originally posted by dojoboy


This is true. But, have you looked at it from this perspective?

When you drop your research rate to gain a one turn bonus in gpt, you've thrown away science beakers that would have allowed you to research the next tech faster.

But, the gold may be needed at that particular moment.

Correct?

No, incorrect. The beakers do not carry over.

[dojoboy]

In C3C?

[punkbass2000]

Did they change that?

I can't see why this would be posted as a 'strategy' if they had. It would be more like an option.

[Aqualung71]

No, beakers do not carry over. Nor does production or food. That's partly why micromanaging your towns (and the research slider) in the early game is so important.

[Cookie Monster]

In the early game I like to run in the red wrt to cash in order to get the tech fast. Then trade it for cash thereby allowing you to continue to run in the red to gain tech faster.

[Aqualung71]

Originally posted by Cookie Monster
In the early game I like to run in the red wrt to cash in order to get the tech fast. Then trade it for cash thereby allowing you to continue to run in the red to gain tech faster.

Often a good strategy, as long as you're prepared to lose your long-built Granary when the AI demands all your cash and you are in negative income, or go to war early with poor military

[Theseus]

Two more short tips:

1) Depending on what version and / or mod you are playing, get to know what research choices the various AI civs make, and how to research techs that the AI does NOT... one easy way to do this is to NOT research what the science advisor suggests. As you get better at this, you will start to gain what we call a "branch tech lead" which will allow you to put the AIs onto a treadmill funding your ongoing research lead. This culminates in something dubbed the "Industrial Corridor" where you can force the AI civs into the rear.

2) Research hard!! Seriously, especially now with SGLs, you want to get good at this.

[Bragelonne]

Just another thing more, if it has already been said I haven´t understood it (bad Anglish):

Actually I love to do this with commercial civilizations (especially the Romans due to their military). Early in the game (but not on the first turns) drop the research bar to 0 and concentrate on pure cash. Later you should be able to buy technology from other people, without great losses.
If you have a good-to-great military, you don´t even need to speend too much gold on this, you just force weaker civs to give you their tech. Just look with whom you are talking to, and alternate moneybuying-bruteforce.

Once you have catch up on a particular point, you can decide to stop all that madness and use your high amounts of money to research, hopefully (not always) giving you a step forward in research.

Happy Easter!

[Don Giovanni]

Re: Short tip on Research (newbies)

Originally posted by Drakann
When researching a tech, and you only have ONE turn left to attain that tech, adjust the Research slab to decrease research in such a way as to continue discovering it in your next turn but you will find yourself spending less gold.

I do this the last 2-3 turns before. The cost of the tech declines while you research it, due to trading/discovery, so you have the risk of wasting more beakers if you wait until the last turn (the required research in the last turn is negative!). Also, you may discover that you could discover the tech one or two turns before at a little extra cost.

Maybe the effect is too small, but I do it anyhow

[Drakan]

No, you're absolutely right. It's waisting beakers waiting for the turn before. I read this later somewhere. it's better to do it two or three turns before if you can. good point Don Giovanni

[vmxa1]

You need to be sure that you are not costing yourself a turn here. Often you cannot even turn down a notch on at all.

Yes there are times that you can see a saving by moving it down two turns in advanced. You need to be tracking the beakers all along to ensure you get it correct.

[Tripledoc]

Also check the science slider if you meet new civs. They may have the tech you are researching and then it won't cost so much.